Beaver (Castor fiber) reintroduction, Forest of Dean, Gloucestershire

We are inviting expressions of interest to be submitted to manage the enclosure of a family group of European beavers (Castor fiber) in the Forest of Dean, Gloucestershire and carry follow up care of the animals for a period of three years.

The purpose of this project is to investigate the effects this species has on the environment in terms of the biodiversity of the brook, the associated riparian habitat and the hydrology of the catchment.

The contractor will be responsible for providing a captive bred UK family of European beavers, carrying out all necessary health screening checks and translocation of the beavers to the enclosure. The contractor will also be responsible for the fitting of transponders, and the design and build of an artificial lodge to allow the animals to successfully acclimatise to their new environment.

After-care and monitoring of the beavers including the capture, removal and re-homing of any surplus animals as necessary over the course of the three year project as well as the supply of supplementary captive bred UK animals if necessary.

The contract also involves the detailed design specification and supervision of the fitting of fabricated metal grills on inflow and outflow culverts to ensure they are not vulnerable to breaches by beavers or feral wild boar, meet Natural England specifications and have all necessary consents.

The contractor will be responsible for the hydrological monitoring of the water quality and flow rates throughout the enclosure over the three year period as well as supply of all hydrological monitoring equipment.

To express your interest in this requirement, please email Rebecca Wilson by the 30th November 2016 to allow us to notify you of any questions and answers we may receive.